What are Bioelectronics

07 March 2017

We’re all familiar with the life-saving impact of pacemakers and defibrillators on the heart. But we are just discovering that tiny doses of electricity applied to the body’s nervous system can treat disorders as diverse as asthma, diabetes, arthritis and high blood pressure. This ability has spawned a whole new field, called bioelectronic medicine.

Kris Famm on Bioelectronics

GSK is leading research into this new scientific field, which would not involve pills or injections, but miniaturised, implantable devices. Innovation is fundamental to driving improvements in healthcare, and our researchers are pursuing the latest scientific avenues and technologies so we can continue to develop medical breakthroughs for patients.

Bioelectronic medicine is a vision far from today’s medical practice. But we believe that one day these tiny devices, smaller than grains of rice, could be used to treat a range of chronic diseases, with greater precision and fewer side effects than with conventional medicines.